Tired of blind consumerism? Want to do your part to enhance the planet for future generations? Then this Self-sufficiency and Sustainability course is for you! When you learn how to embrace self-sustainable living, you will not only reduce your environmental footprint, you will live a healthier lifestyle and save money at the same time. It’s a win-win-win!

In this course, you will study how to source sustainable products and services and even start your own sustainable business. You will also learn how to plan a food garden, create cost-effective meals using your own produce, rear animals, create your own clothes from sustainable materials … and so much more!

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking a course on self-sustainable living include:

• Learning about self-sufficiency in terms of modern society
• Exploring the meaning and concept of self-sufficiency
• Gaining an understanding of what’s needed to make a successful change
• Studying how to sustain good health and fitness and aerobic and anaerobic exercise
• Examining mental health, clothing and human nutrition, including the major food groups
• Understanding safety with fabrics and protective clothing, including gloves, eyewear, ear protection and face masks
• Attaining knowledge of full body protective clothing, knee protection, footwear, sunscreen and a good hat
• Gaining insights into the general care and hygiene of everyday clothing, including brushing and airing, sensible storage and mending and cleaning
• Learning about first aid, including falls, bleeding or haemorrhage, bruises, foreign bodies, wounds, burns, bites, stings and spinal injuries
• Exploring horticulture, including planning the crop, cropping programs and crop rotation
• Gaining an understanding of soils, no-dig techniques, no-dig raised beds and building no-dig bed retainers
• Studying how to grow mushrooms and tomatoes (growing conditions, nutrient requirements and planting)
• Attaining knowledge of herbs, including medicinal, culinary, aromatic and ornamental herbs
• Understanding the cultivation of herbs including soils, protection, pruning, harvesting, drying, handling and cooking
• Attaining knowledge of herb vinegars, oils, cheeses, salts, honey, biscuits, confectionery, mustards, teas and baths
• Gaining insights into companion planting, repellant plants, attractant plants and plants which affect the soil
• Learning about bait, companion, soil-improving and poisonous plants
• Exploring herbal pest management, propagating herbs and seeds and cuttings
• Gaining an understanding of the mints
• Studying animal husbandry, including shortcuts in animal rearing

Plus!

• Gaining an understanding of building
• Studying how to make mud bricks and the soil used for mud bricks
• Examining brick size, mixing the mode, casting the bricks and foundations
• Understanding how to lay mud bricks, wall finishes, tools and the difference between paint, stain and sealer
• Attaining knowledge of alternative energy, using renewable energy sources and the realities of solar energy
• Gaining insights into wind power, wind speed conversions, solar house design and solar design principles
• Learning about energy conservation, wood as fuel, wood treated with preservatives and selecting, drying and storing firewood
• Exploring how to build and light a fire, safety issues, the environmental aspects of using wood as fuel and firewood plantations
• Gaining an understanding of choosing a wood burning appliance, installation and wood heating appliance use
• Studying cresote formation and flue fires, care and maintenance and chimney fires
• Examining craft and country skills, including marketing crafts, setting a price and protecting your designs
• Understanding painting, including oil, watercolour, acrylic and fabric painting
• Attaining knowledge of candle making, enamelling and herb crafts
• Gaining insights into rustic timber furniture structures, what timber to use and how to join timber
• Learning how to clean and sharpen tools
• Exploring secateurs, shovels, spades, saws, chainsaws and their maintenance
• Gaining an understanding of preparing for emergencies, being prepared for fire, maintaining fire hazards around the garden and maintenance for fire control
• Studying home tourism, opening a bed and breakfast, open gardens, wedding photos, food and how to earn extra income by growing food
• Examining subsistence crops, growing for a market and alternative crops
• Understanding nursery production, open ground growing, tropical indoor plants and ferns, trees and shrubs and cut flowers

And more!

Top tips for self-sustainable living

Self-sufficient living is achievable in varying forms for everyone. But even if you aren’t aiming to become fully self-sufficient, there are ways you can add a little more self-sufficiency into your routine with just a few tweaks.

In the garden

• Growing your own food
• Keeping chickens
• Creating a water-wise garden
• Using plants to remove toxins
• Mulching your plants and learn to compost
• Growing an indigenous garden

In the home

• Assessing your home’s sustainability
• Buying renewable electricity
• Cultivating energy-saving habits
• Cultivating water-saving habits
• Generating your own electricity via solar panels
• Harvesting and use your own rainwater
• Shading, insulating and weatherproofing your house
• Reducing stormwater pollution
• Learning basic home maintenance

Food and drink

• Eating organic food
• Eating less meat
• Buying local and seasonal food
• Avoiding genetically modified (GM) foods
• Avoiding bottled water
• Reducing dairy in your diet
• Avoiding eating endangered fish
• Adopting a vegetarian diet
• Eating seasonally

Products

• Buying recycled products
• Buying wood and paper responsibly
• Using renewable products
• Buying from local suppliers
• Wearing sustainable clothes
• Using non-toxic cleaners
• Using natural beauty products
• Buying fair-trade food and products
• Buying second-hand goods
• Avoiding excessive packaging

Waste

• Recycling technical wate
• Cultivating waste reduction habits
• Culling your belongings
• Recycling organic and building waste

Work

• Saving paper and buying green office products
• Ride-sharing with colleagues
• Recycling office waste
• Powering-down your computer when it’s not in use

Transport

• Using public transport
• Reducing air travel
• Riding a bike
• Buying an energy-efficient car

The world’s most eco-friendly countries

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) measures the environmental performance of 180 countries, and the top-ranked countries are generally the ones that are closest to meeting their environmental policy goals. Here were the most sustainable countries in 2021 (which we assume have many inhabitants who embrace self-sustainable living)!

#1 – Denmark

With an EPI score of 82.5, Denmark has one of the lowest carbon dioxide growth rates as well as a high ranking for wastewater treatment, sanitation and marine protected areas. One of Denmark’s islands, Samso, is also one of the few places in the world that relies entirely on renewable energy like wind, solar and biomass energy.

#2 – Luxembourg

Luxembourg has an EPI score of 82.3. One of the goals the country has set is to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by a million tons in comparison to 2021. They are also aiming to reduce the sales of petrol.

#3 – Switzerland

Consistently ranking in the top five environmentally-friendly countries, one of Switzerland’s green claims to fame is that it doesn’t have landfill. Instead, all rubbish is incinerated with a minimal amount of air pollution. The country also has an industrial-scale carbon-capture plant that removes over 900 tons of carbon dioxide from the air annually.

#4 – United Kingdom

The UK is high on the list of environmentally-friendly countries due to its second lowest carbon dioxide growth rates. On the EPI index, they were also number one in terms of marine protected areas and clean drinking water. In 2020, the UK also banned single-use plastic stirrers, plastic straws and cotton buds from the country.

#5 – France

It is not surprising that the country where the Paris Climate Agreement was drafted is one of the most eco-friendly nations in the world. The country also has a law that any new buildings built in commercial zones must have their roofs partially covered with solar panels or plants.

#6 – Austria

Austria is one of the top countries in terms of producing organic food. In fact, over 20 per cent of Austria’s farmlands follow the environmental standards of organic farming. The country also hopes to reach climate neutrality (which refers to the emission and mitigation of all greenhouse gases, not just carbon) by 2040.

#7 – Finland

Finland’s air is one of the cleanest in the world according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In addition to this, Finland has been reaching the point where its renewable energy is surpassing their use of fossil fuels. This mirrors a commitment by businesses to reach 50 per cent renewable energy consumption by 2030.

#8 – Sweden

In terms of sustainability, Sweden consistently ranks in the top ten, with a large number of the population purchasing eco-friendly food and consumer products. The nation also hopes to become the first fossil-free country in the world by 2050.

#9 -Norway

The number of plug-in electric vehicles in Norway is the largest per capita in the world. In March 2022, 23 per cent of passenger cars on the road were plug-in. In recent years, the country’s electricity production has also become 97 per cent renewable. It hopes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent by the end of the year.

#10 – Germany

Germany has set a goal to close their last remaining power plant this year, and instead, power their country completely through renewables, conservation and gas. Many Germans are also embracing a vegan diet, hoping to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.

 

Embrace sustainable environmental practices and self-sustainable living with our self-sufficiency and sustainability course.